THE new £6 million Godalming Leisure Centre will open its doors in July, months ahead of schedule.

The announcement coincided with a Waverley planning meeting at which the borough council gave itself permission for an additional car park for the new centre.

The extended car park, which the authority’s central area planning committee was told could be justified even though it is on green belt land and encroaches onto Broadwater School’s playing fields, attracted opposition from people living in the area who raised a variety of concerns, including an insistence that it was not needed.

The extra parking area will provide 23 regular spaces and three disabled bays, giving a total of 21 extra spaces – five will be lost in the existing car park by the provision of a ramp to allow access to the community centre.

Other changes will include the construction of two pedestrian crossings and alterations to the internal service road.

A mature willow tree will also be lost, which has caused some alarm locally and sparked debate at Wednesday’s committee meeting, although there will be replacement planting.

There was a suggestion, though, that the tree may be nearing the end of its natural life and may have to be felled soon anyway.

Sport England raised no objection to the loss of the small area of school playing field as it would not impact on the use of any pitches.

Planning officer Tim Lipscomb told the meeting that when plans for the leisure centre were approved last year the car parking provision was judged to be “technically compliant”, but that “additional parking was highlighted as a need”.

One of the 23 objectors to the proposal was Summers Road resident Philip Emery who told the meeting the council was planning to “cover the green belt and school playing field with Tarmac and destroy a viable tree”.

Another resident, though, spoke in support, arguing that it would improve safety for children, disabled and elderly users of the planned leisure centre.

During the debate councillors argued over whether or not the willow should be retained, with the loss of some parking spaces, and over the type and design of lighting that should be used, though the scheme was eventually approved without change, subject to a raft of conditions.

Ward councillor Nick Williams added: “We are obviously all in support of the leisure centre, but there is a perfectly good argument to say, on the car park issue, that it could be delayed to see exactly how much parking is actually needed.”

However, Cllr Peter Martin, told the meeting: “I would rather see an expanded car park which is appropriate to the development than parking in the streets – we should agree these are special circumstances which justify an incursion into the green belt.”

Meanwhile, announcing that the new centre will open at 8am on July 30, the council’s leisure portfolio holder, Cllr Julia Potts, said: “Opening just days after the start of the Olympics is likely to further increase the demand on the excellent facilities at the new leisure centre.

“With the finishing touches being put to the building, DC Leisure, which will manage the centre on Waverley’s behalf, is putting together a timetable of classes and activities that should provide something for everyone,” she said.

With the original opening date expected in the autumn, she added: “To have developed a project on the scale of the new leisure centre on budget and ahead of schedule is a fantastic achievement.”